Primary Education (5-11) with QTS

Teaching in primary schools is one of the most formative influences on children's lives. The years between five and eleven are a critical period for developing literacy, numeracy, curiosity and the confidence to learn, and the teacher who guides children through this period shapes not just their academic attainment but their relationship with learning itself. Primary Education with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) at the University of Chester prepares you to take on that responsibility, combining academic study of education with substantial practical training in schools.

This three-year full-time programme integrates university-based learning with time in primary classrooms, so you develop your teaching skills in real settings alongside your theoretical understanding. You will study child development and learning psychology, the national curriculum, approaches to teaching core subjects including English, mathematics and science, inclusive education and special educational needs, behaviour management and assessment practice. You will examine the social, cultural and political context of education and develop your ability to reflect critically on your own practice.

The qualification you graduate with, QTS, is the professional requirement for teaching in maintained schools in England and Wales.

Graduating with QTS means you are ready to apply for primary teaching posts immediately. Many graduates take on class teacher roles and progress over time to positions of responsibility, including subject leadership, special educational needs coordination and senior leadership within schools. Others move into educational support roles, early years settings, education policy or teacher training.

Teaching offers a career that is professionally stimulating, socially meaningful and stable, and this degree provides a thorough and practical preparation for it.